Use agent-based discovery to identify and track assets across environments that require installed monitoring. Discovery agents run on individual hosts to collect detailed hardware and software inventory, ensuring continuous and accurate updates to your Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
Required Editions
| Available in: Lightning Experience |
| Available in: Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions with Agentforce IT Service that have Discovery enabled. |
Agent-based discovery extends visibility to systems that are not always reachable through network scans. By installing lightweight discovery agents on Windows, macOS, or Linux hosts, you can continuously collect configuration data, detect changes, and maintain an up-to-date CMDB.
Agents send the collected data to the Discovery application, which then updates the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) at scheduled intervals. Each agent uses a registration token to do secure data exchange and proper mapping to your Salesforce CMDB and Service Graph instance.
Secure Agent Communication
The Discovery Agent and Discovery Application communicate over TCP ports 8190 and 8191. Both hosts must allow communication on these ports. The agent and Discovery Application authenticate each other using mutual TLS (mTLS), with both sides presenting certificates.
An IT administrator installs discovery agents across branch office servers and employee laptops that aren’t accessible through the internal network. Software changes, hardware upgrades, and system updates are automatically detected by the agents. The updated asset information is then sent to CMDB without requiring manual scans.
- Download and Install Discovery Agents
Install discovery agents to collect hardware and software inventory data from Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Agents continuously scan host environments and send collected data to Configuration Management Database (CMDB), keeping it accurate and up to date. - Manage Discovery Agents
Monitor and configure discovery agents from a single page to keep asset data current and your Configuration Management Database (CMDB) synchronized. Review installed agents, set how often they report, and uninstall agents that are no longer required.